VERONA — School officials want to add a total of $765,000 to the 2018-19 budget to pay for full-day kindergarten and several mental health counselors.

The approval of full-day kindergarten and the addition of three mental health clinicians are being presented in two separate questions that would require voter approval on Nov. 6 at the General Election.

If approved, the expenses would be added to the district's $34.34 million 2018-19 budget, which is supported by a $32.57 million property tax levy.

The cost of full-day kindergarten would be an additional $215,000. If the measure is approved for January, one and a half hours of instruction would be added each to the extended-day kindergarten now in place.

It is the third time that school officials have asked voters to approve full-day kindergarten.

The cost for the mental health staff would be $550,000.

If the question is approved, the money would provide three mental health clinicians for H.B. Whitehorne Middle School and Verona High School’s general and special education students, fill a vacant social work job at the middle school and promote a part-time psychologist to full-time at the high school.

School districts are restricted by state law from growing past 2 percent of the previous year's spending without voter approval. If either of the ballot questions are approved, the expenses would become a permanent part of the district's permitted spending and the $765,000 would be raised through taxes.

When the school district's 2018-19 budget was approved earlier this year, the owner of a home assessed at $362,000, the township average, would have expected at $147 increase on their 2017-18 tax bill of $6,221, according to documents on the district's website.

If approved, extending kindergarten would increase the average tax bill by $42, and the mental health staff would increase the average tax bill by $108.

“The research shows there’s more time to dig deep, particularly in reading and math,” F.N. Brown Principal Anthony Lanzo said of the full-day option in a spring presentation.

It also better transitions students from kindergarten to full-day first grade; assists the children’s social, emotional and intellectual development; and increases the likelihood of grade-level reading by the third grade, he said.

The funding will also add staff to Child Study Teams, which usually consist of a teacher focused on learning disabilities, a psychologist and social worker.

"Another key factor is that it will reallocate staffing to expand counseling at all four elementary schools,” Dionisio said.

Sean DiBartolo, parent of a Verona kindergartner, said proponents of the measure are well organized. He and his wife Christy, who are not giving a public opinion, have set up an online forum to offer diverse views.

Citizens can email their opinions to ombudsperson.verona@gmail.com and view the results via a Facebook post.